The local church is called the Body of Christ. It is a good comparison, because like the human body, all the parts have to work together for optimal functioning. When one part of the body is hurting, it causes the rest of the body to suffer.
Have you ever had a little tiny pebble in your shoe? How do you get it out? Your hand does it. How does the hand know to do that? The head has equipped it to know what to do. The hand doesn’t operate independently of the head, and the head certainly can’t remove the pebble from the shoe on it’s own, it needs the hand.
In the local church God has called the pastor (overseer, bishop, elder) to lead (the head), but the head needs the rest of the body to function. Likewise, the body needs a head!
The main Head of the entire church is Jesus Christ. The local pastor is under the Headship of Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of everyone in the Church (1 Corinthians 11:3). There are no rogue Christians. All have accountability to Christ and to our local overseer.
Here’s another analogy:
The pastor is described as the shepherd of the flock. First Peter 5:1 commands the pastor to “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock...”
Peter goes on to point out that the shepherd of the local church is under the Chief Shepherd.
There is structure to a local church. We must always look at the Bible to find out what it is so that we might make certain we are keeping our focus on the purpose of the church, which is threefold:
1. To Glorify God.
2. To equip the saints for the ministry.
3. To Go! And make disiciples: baptizing them, and teaching them.
A healthy functioning body allow this to happen! Amen.
How the Body of the Local Church Operates
The local church is called the Body of Christ. It is a good comparison, because like the human body, all the parts have to work together for optimal functioning. When one part of the body is hurting, it causes the rest of the body to suffer.
Have you ever had a little tiny pebble in your shoe? How do you get it out? Your hand does it. How does the hand know to do that? The head has equipped it to know what to do. The hand doesn’t operate independently of the head, and the head certainly can’t remove the pebble from the shoe on it’s own, it needs the hand.
In the local church God has called the pastor (overseer, bishop, elder) to lead (the head), but the head needs the rest of the body to function. Likewise, the body needs a head!
The main Head of the entire church is Jesus Christ. The local pastor is under the Headship of Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of everyone in the Church (1 Corinthians 11:3). There are no rogue Christians. All have accountability to Christ and to our local overseer.
Here’s another analogy:
The pastor is described as the shepherd of the flock. First Peter 5:1 commands the pastor to “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock...”
Peter goes on to point out that the shepherd of the local church is under the Chief Shepherd.
There is structure to a local church. We must always look at the Bible to find out what it is so that we might make certain we are keeping our focus on the purpose of the church, which is threefold:
1. To Glorify God.
2. To equip the saints for the ministry.
3. To Go! And make disiciples: baptizing them, and teaching them.
A healthy functioning body allow this to happen! Amen.